N'Delta Group Denounces Solidarity Walk in Support of Tantita Contract Renewal, Insists on Audit and Decentralisation

By Peter Dansu 

The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum has strongly denounced the “Peace, Unity and Solidarity Walk” held in Abuja today by some self-acclaimed youth leaders, describing it as an unrepresentative event driven by narrow personal interests rather than the collective will of the region.

The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum, which brings together voices from Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, Ogoni and other ethnic nationalities, stated that the position articulated by Jonathan Lokpobiri during the walk does not speak for the wider Ijaw nation or the people of the Niger Delta.

A statement signed by Comrade Samson Edafe said: "We view Jonathan Lokpobiri as a failed President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) who has completely abandoned the vision and ideals of this once-prestigious group.

"We recall with nostalgia when the IYC, under the leadership of Asari Dokubo and other notable past presidents, served as a credible and formidable platform for advancing the progress, development, and collective interests of the Ijaw nation and the broader Niger Delta region.

"Today, under the watch of Jonathan Lokpobiri, the IYC has regrettably been reduced to a willing tool for advancing the self-serving interests of Lokpobiri and his cronies. It has become nothing more than a personal enterprise for escaping poverty and lack. 

"To forestall further embarrassment to the Ijaw Nation, we demand the immediate resignation of Jonathan Lokpobiri as President of the IYC."

According to the group, the individuals essentially spoke for themselves and their immediate circle, adding that their claims lack endorsement from broader Niger Delta leadership, their immediate community, or even members of their families, many of whom view this stance as that of a sell-out motivated primarily by personal gain.

The forum noted that the group appears to be a limited platform with little genuine grassroots recognition, consisting mainly of joiners advancing self-serving agendas.

The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum expressed concern over the ongoing push to renew the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services without proper scrutiny.

“Despite the substantial financial commitments made to the company, available statistics indicate that oil revenue generation has declined during the period of this arrangement,” the statement read.

"Incidents of bunkering and illegal refining have continued in various parts of the region, with reports of intercepted vessels and persistent illegal activities highlighting gaps in the current setup.”

The group argued that concentrating such a critical national responsibility in a single entity has created a monopoly that excludes many host communities and ethnic nationalities whose lands produce the oil, leading to feelings of marginalisation and undermining broader regional stability.

“Mr. Lokpobiri and his allies are pushing for renewal while the mandate remains unfulfilled in many areas,” Comrade Edafe stated. “This does not reflect the true situation on the ground where challenges persist.

"The Ijaw nation and other groups in the Niger Delta deserve better than this narrow endorsement that appears driven by personal pockets rather than regional development.”

The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum emphasised that while everyone is entitled to express support for particular arrangements, such endorsements must not override the need for accountability.

The forum pointed out that the Petroleum Industry Act underscores the central role of host communities in protecting oil and gas infrastructure, a principle that appears sidelined under the existing monopoly.

“True progress in securing the nation’s pipelines requires more inclusive and competitive approaches rather than the continuation of a system that has yet to fully deliver on its mandate,” the statement declared.

The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum therefore called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to take a measured and transparent path forward.

This includes conducting an independent forensic audit of the Tantita contract to evaluate its performance, utilisation of funds and overall impact on oil theft.

The group also advocated for the decentralisation of surveillance responsibilities to competent local operators drawn from different ethnic nationalities and host communities.

According to Edafe, such a step would foster greater participation, improve local intelligence gathering, introduce healthy competition and ensure more equitable benefits in line with the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The forum urged all genuine stakeholders in the Niger Delta to focus on constructive engagement that prioritises national interest, transparency and sustainable development over isolated events that fail to address the region’s underlying challenges.

"The Pan-Niger Delta Youth Forum advises these jobbers and their allies to find something productive to do, as they have failed their families, their immediate communities, and the entire Niger Delta region through their consistent pursuit of personal benefits at the expense of collective progress."

Nzeogwu One Week After The Coup?

For a long time, I have wondered what must have been going on in Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu’s mind in the days following the January 15, 1966 coup.

He was only 27 years old, just one year younger than my own son today. Sometimes I imagine what it would feel like if I suddenly heard that my son had participated in killing the leaders of a country. I would collapse from shock because only a deeply misguided young man could think such an action was a solution to political problems.

A group of angry and immature young officers, boys, really, convinced themselves that killing political leaders and senior military officers was the answer to Nigeria’s frustrations. They believed violence could magically purify society. Like many reckless young people throughout history, they mistook destruction for heroism.

But reality arrived quickly.

This is what Gowon wrote about meeting Nzeogwu after the failed coup:

"Following his capitulation, (Major Chukwuma) Nzeogwu was brought to Lagos and admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where I went to see him. I asked why they killed all senior officers in Lagos and Kaduna, and further asked, ‘do you realise the damage this has done to the esprit de corps of the army and the Nigerian armed forces?’ After I asked, ‘why did you kill Ademulegun?’, I realised I should not have bothered because the answer to the question was obvious. Everyone knew he was hostile to Ademulegun; they never agreed on several issues, especially because of what he termed the Brigade Commander’s romance with the Northern political leaders. I then asked: ‘What about Shodeinde, one of the most decent and gentle officers we had?’

"At that point, Nzeogwu visibly became truly angry but not with me. He was quite upset with his other colleagues in Lagos, his co-conspirators in the South, especially (Major Emmanuel) Ifeajuna and others at the core of the planning. He said there was no such plan for a one-sided execution, that is, killing of the officers from the North. I was not too convinced, but he sounded quite sincere and it truly sounded like he was double-crossed by his colleagues. I then made him realise, just in case he didn’t know, the enormity of the problem they had created. I said: ‘Do you realise what you have done? You’ve taught other people what they could do, and it could go against anybody or group in the future’…My well-known position remains that Nzeogwu was ‘a misguided but gallant soldier with principles’, which was a primary reason I ordered that he be buried with full military honours after he died in battle during the civil war…"

That passage is deeply revealing.

It suggests that even among the coup planners themselves, there may not have been a unified understanding of what they were actually doing. Nzeogwu appeared shocked by the pattern of killings and angry with some of his co-conspirators, especially Major Ifeajuna and others involved in the Lagos operations.

But that raises even more troubling questions.

What exactly was the rationale behind the selection of targets? Why were some people marked for death while others were spared? Why was Brigadier Ademulegun killed alongside his pregnant wife? Why was the wife of Ahmadu Bello also murdered? Even in war, civilized people understand the distinction between combatants and innocent family members.

These are not small moral questions. They reveal the terrifying recklessness that often accompanies violent political extremism.

Nzeogwu himself may eventually have realized that he had entered a conspiracy where different participants carried different motives. Some may have spoken the language of national reform while secretly pursuing personal vendettas, ethnic resentments, ideological fantasies, or private ambitions.

That is one of the enduring dangers of political violence: once violence is unleashed, nobody truly controls it anymore.

The saddest part is that these young men destroyed not only lives but the stability of an entire country. The January 1966 coup triggered a chain reaction, the revenge coup, ethnic massacres, the collapse of trust within the military, the civil war, and decades of mutual suspicion that Nigeria still struggles with today.

Yet my greatest concern is not even the past itself.

My greatest concern is that many Nigerians still have not learned the lesson.

Even today, there are young people who believe complex national problems can be solved through simplistic, radical, emotional solutions. They speak with absolute certainty despite limited understanding of history, human psychology, ethnic tensions, or the consequences of violence. They romanticize “revolution” without understanding that revolutions often consume innocent people first.

Nzeogwu may have eventually realized that he was part of something far uglier and more dangerous than he initially imagined. But by then, the country had already been pushed into a fire that consumed millions of lives and altered Nigeria forever.

History becomes truly dangerous when societies refuse to learn from it.

DISCLAIMER: This article is published for public information and legal education purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the position of any government or institution. If you need a lawyer and you are a registered member of DPA, you may contact DPA at +818 000 8266 (WhatsApp) to be referred to a lawyer in your area.

Law. Rights. Accountability.

© 2026 Eculaw Group. All rights reserved.

Hon. Zegejir Promises Quality Representation As He Picks House Of Representatives Nomination Form Under APM

By Terfa Naswem 

Hon. Isaac Gwaza Zegejir yesterday, picked his nomination form for  House of Representatives under the Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) to contest the 2027 House of Representatives election to represent the good people of Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency in Benue State.

Hon. Zegejir has the penchant for transformative ideals and is keen on reigniting the flames of clearing the path for Jechira to take a different dimension in development, coherence and convergence of progressive ideas to take Jechira to the realm of rapid positive change.

He is a  man who has the concomitant of hard work, resilience and resolute in his tasks; his ingenuity, prudence and probity has placed him on the scale of representative acumen which are exceptional representative qualities Jechira needs from anyone who wants to navigate the representative ship of Jechira through the stormy seas of lack of quality representation.

He is determined to complement the good work of the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev.  Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia if given the opportunity to represent the good people of Vandeikya and Konshisha. He appealed to them to give Gov. Alia all the support he needs and take his reelection bid as their top priority to vote for him massive in 2027 gubernatorial election in Benue State.

In line with Benjamin Rush’s philosophy of representative government, Hon. Zegejir ideals are centered on the idea that quality representation requires a highly educated, morally disciplined, and compassionate representative who can touch the lives of their constituents beyond measure. He believes that merely establishing laws was insufficient, and that citizens must be actively molded by state-sponsored education into "republican machines".